The National Maths and Science Quiz started yesterday with the preliminary.

It began with a contest between St. Peter’s SHS, St Martin’s SHS and Notre Dame Girls SHS. St Peter’s SHS won the contest whiles St Martin’s SHS and Notre Dame Girls SHS came second and third respectively.

Below is a table of the various contest, the points accumulated by each school and the schools which qualified for the next stage of the contest.

The U.S. Ambassador to Ghana has honoured Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin and Yaw Ofori Debra with the 2018 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice.

At the ceremony at his residence Thursday, Robert P. Jackson praised the award winners for courageously taking a stand for justice.

“Dr King taught us that the greatness of a nation is not defined and shaped by its government,” Jackson said. “A nation is defined and shaped by its people.

“People who aren’t afraid to stand up and say, ‘I deserve equal access to my democracy. I deserve equal access to education. I deserve equal access to opportunity.’”

Since 2008, the U.S. Embassy has presented the award annually to one or more Ghanaian citizens who exemplify the spirit of American civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr Mensah-Kutin was recognized for her indefatigable work as a champion for women’s rights. As director of the West African Regional Office of ABANTU for Development since 2000, Dr Mensah-Kutin has relentlessly pursued gender equality in public policy.

One of her hallmark achievements was the creation of the 2004 Women’s Manifesto for Ghana, which articulated concrete steps to address the disparate treatment women still face in their daily lives.

Dr Mensah-Kutin was a leading advocate for the passage of the Local Governance Act of 2016, which included many gender-specific provisions.

In the lead-up to the 2016 elections, Dr Mensah-Kutin led efforts to ensure women voters were given the tools to make educated choices at the ballot box.

She has tirelessly advocated for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill and seeks constantly to empower the next generation of women leaders in Ghana.

Mr Debra was honoured for his lifelong fight for the rights of persons with disabilities. As a student leader in the 1980s, Mr Debra lobbied the government for payment of reading allowances for visually impaired students in tertiary institutions.

In January 2005, he became the president of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations.

He mobilized disability organizations to effectively advocate for the passage of the Ghana Disability Act and for Ghana’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr Debra was influential in instituting National Disability Day and coordinating media and parliamentary caucuses to endorse disability advocacy.

During the 2016 elections, he urged Ghanaians to assist family members to vote if they face accessibility issues and supported the Ghana Blind Union’s work to improve the accessibility of polling sites.

He Debra played a critical role in ensuring that all citizens could participate in the democratic process and have their votes counted.

Some previous recipients of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice include:

– 2008: The Right Reverend Vincent Boi-Nai, Bishop of Yendi; and Alhussein, Director, Community Development and Youth Advisory Center (CODEYAC)

Profiles

Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin is one of the foremost champions of women’s rights in Ghana and serves as a mentor and role model for future female leaders. As director of the West African Regional Office of ABANTU for Development since 2000, Dr Mensah-Kutin has fought tirelessly to promote gender responsiveness in public policy.

Notably, she organized a coalition of activists to develop the 2004 Women’s Manifesto for Ghana, a non-partisan document outlining the critical issues of national concern to women and has since continued to lead the Women’s Manifesto Coalition.

As convener of the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) from 2005-2009, she facilitated the participation of women’s groups from around the world in the 2008 Aid Effectiveness High Level Forum and, in so doing, ensured it integrated gender-specific initiatives.

Dr Mensah-Kutin holds a PhD in energy and gender studies from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. She also holds an MA in development studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands.

She attended the University of Ghana, Legon, where she studied English and history for her first degree, and journalism and communications for a graduate diploma.

She is an expert on the intersection of gender, natural resource management, and climate change, and has served as an expert consultant for UNDP and other international, regional, and national agencies.

She serves on the advisory board of the International Gender and Sustainable Energy Network (ENERGIA) based in the Netherlands. At the national level, she has recently been appointed as a member of Ghana’s Judiciary Council.

She also chairs the Zoomlion Foundation (ZF) and the Ghana Trades and Livelihoods Coalition, a civil society organization focused on agriculture.

She is a member of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Management Committee of the School of Migration Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon.

She has published papers on gender equality as it relates to peacebuilding, governance, energy, climate change, and poverty.

Yaw Ofori Debra

Since January 2005, Mr Debra has been the President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, representing a network of eight disability organizations. He is a lifetime advocate for disability rights.

As a student leader from 1987-1989, he successfully lobbied for the institutionalization of reading allowances for the visually impaired at tertiary institutions in Ghana, an initiative that has currently been expanded and transformed into the disability allowance for disabled students.

Mr Debra also led the advocacy for the passage of the Ghana Disability Act 715 in 2006 and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2012.

He was influential in instituting the National Disability Day, setting up of media and parliamentary caucuses to influence disability advocacy, and is the lead on disability networks and platforms in Ghana.

More recently he has been aggressively pushing forward reforms to facilitate access to the District Common Fund for disability organizations in districts.

Mr Debra was the Treasurer of the West Africa Federation of the Disabled.

Mr Debra also works as a District Guidance and Counselling Coordinator at the Birim North Directorate of the Ghana Education Service, leading the design of training initiatives for teachers to effectively manage children with psycho-social problems that negatively affect their studies.

The first black female ambassador to be appointed by the UK has called her promotion “an honour and a privilege”.

NneNne Iwuji-Eme has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Mozambique. She will take up her post in July.

Ms Iwuji-Eme, who has worked in the UK Foreign Office for 16 years, is quoted in the Guardian as saying she hoped her appointment would inspire others and strengthen UK-Mozambique ties:

I hope my appointment as the first British black female career diplomat to this position will inspire young talent, regardless of race or background, to pursue their ambitions in the Foreign Office.

I look forward to forging even stronger connections between Britain and Mozambique – two close members of the Commonwealth family.”

Source: BBC

]]>Ghanaians in Denmark express mixed feelings on ROPALhttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/ghanaians-in-denmark-express-mixed-feelings-on-ropal/
Fri, 22 Dec 2017 18:12:34 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152510Some Ghanaians in Denmark have expressed mixed reactions to a ruling from a High Court ordering the Electoral Commission (EC) to allow Ghanaians in the diaspora to vote in general elections.

An Accra High Court on Monday directed the EC to implement, within 12 months, the Representation of the People Amendment Law also known as the ROPAL, 2006 [Act 699].

The ROPAL was passed in 2006 and sought to empower eligible Ghanaians outside the country to vote in national elections, however, it has not been implemented by successive governments, leaving many Ghanaians abroad disenfranchised.

Meanwhile some Ghanaians, while speaking in an interaction with Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, gave varied opinions on the matter.

The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) branch in Denmark, Francis Selorm Sekyi and Organizer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kweku Mensah have both welcomed the decision, saying it was long overdue.

But Nii Adu Ntre, who has been in Denmark for 23 years, raised concerns about how the integrity of the ballots would be protected in order to avoid election disputes.

“Who is going to make sure that the people who walk into wherever place we are going to vote are the right people, because the truth is that about 80% of the people here are Danish citizens, not dual citizens. So how do we ensure the integrity of the vote?” he quizzed.

Ghanaian diaspora to play key role in national development

In another development, Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, said government is keen on effectively mobilizing the resources and skills of Ghanaians in the diaspora to help transform the country.

According to her, the role of the Ghanaian Diaspora in national development has attained unprecedented recognition from the current government.

Speaking at the maiden end-of-year interaction with Ghanaians in Denmark, she said, “President Nana Akufo Addo’s administration prioritises Diaspora investments. This is evident in his vision on Diaspora inclusiveness in building the new Ghana, the Ghana beyond Aid.”

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa stated that Government is seeking a partnership with the diaspora that will increase investments, create a vibrant private sector, and the needed jobs for the teeming youth in Ghana.

“There is the need to inculcate in our people the best practices you’ve learnt from working in the top businesses and companies from the around the world. This would be the needed seed we would sow for the transformation of Ghana,” she emphasised in her address to the leadership of the various churches, unions and political parties (NPP&NDC) at the forum.

On the recent state visit by the Queen of Denmark to Ghana in November, She described it as a big success and that some eight MoUs have been signed in various sectors with the high-level delegation of 39 businesses that joined the Queen to visit Ghana.

Call for Unity

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa further called on the various Ghanaian unions, Churches, political groupings and intellectuals to join the Ghana mission to present a united Ghanaian front in activities in the country.

“The mission is bent on pursuing and achieving positive results through close cooperation and trust with the Ghanaian Diaspora. Whatever has happened in the past should stay in the past. I am here now as your ambassador, ready to serve! Let’s start on a new page, afresh with no prejudice or malice”, she added.

The leadership of the NDC and NPP branches in Denmark commended the efforts of the mission to promote closer ties between the Diaspora networks all over the Scandinavian countries.

Source: Citifmonline

]]>Jerusalem: Israel warns Ghana not to make another mistakehttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/jerusalem-israel-warns-ghana-not-to-make-another-mistake/
Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:24:12 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152513Israel has expressed regret over Ghana’s vote against America’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as its (Israel) capital.

Ghana was among one of the 128 countries that voted against the US proposal at an emergency session of United Nations Thursday.

However, in a statement, the Israeli Embassy said, “The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nation’s (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 as the assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israel’s capital Jerusalem. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions.

Below is the full statement:

The vote against the United States (US) by the United Nation’s General Assembly special sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 is nothing but a farce. The UN cannot dictate to Israel or any other country which of its cities it has to recognize as a capital. In the same regard, the UN cannot dictate to the US or any other country whether or not to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and where to site their embassies in Israel.

This voting by the UN General Assembly is meaningless from the view point of International Law. It is therefore evident that, the Palestinians are using all forms of diplomatic efforts in international organizations to fight against Israel instead of engaging in direct negotiations with Israel for the sake of peace.

As stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel completely rejects this resolution. Jerusalem was, is and will always remain the eternal capital of Israel.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ghana therefore regrets the mistaken vote of Ghana against the State of Israel during the Special United Nation’s (UN) General Assembly sitting on Thursday, 21 December 2017 as the assembly adopted a resolution regarding Israel’s capital Jerusalem. We hope such mistake will not be repeated by Ghana in subsequent motions.

Source: atinkaonline

]]>Judgment on ROPAA by the High Courthttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/judgment-on-ropaa-by-the-high-court/
Wed, 20 Dec 2017 18:22:03 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152506The Electoral Commission has 12 months, starting January 1, 2018, to register every eligible Ghanaian resident outside the country and enable them to vote in the 2020 general elections and any referendum.

This was the main thrust of the Accra High Court’s judgment on the Representation of the People Amendment Act, also known ROPAA law [Act 699] on Monday.

“It is discriminatory for 1st Respondent to continue to register abroad and ensure that a category of citizens studying abroad or working in Ghana’s Missions/ Embassies abroad vote in public elections and referenda while living abroad to the exclusion of Applicants and other similarly circumstanced Ghanaian citizens;” the court said in a judgment signed by High Court Judge, Justice Anthony K. Yeboah.

Source: 3News

]]>Ghanaians in diaspora to play key role in national developmenthttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/ghanaians-in-diaspora-to-play-key-role-in-national-development/
Wed, 20 Dec 2017 12:19:09 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152503Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, says government is keen to effectively mobilize the resources and skills of Ghanaians in the diaspora to help transform the country.

According to her the role of the Ghanaian Diaspora in national development has won unprecedented recognition from the current government.

Speaking at the maiden end of year interaction with Ghanaians in Denmark, she said, “President Nana Akufo Addo’s administration prioritises Diaspora investments. This is evident in his vision on Diaspora inclusiveness in building the new Ghana, the Ghana beyond Aid.”

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa stated that Government is seeking a partnership with the diaspora that will increase investments, create a vibrant private sector, and the needed jobs for the teaming youth in Ghana.

“There is the need to inculcate in our people the best practices you’ve learnt from working in the top businesses and companies from the around the world. This would be the needed seed we would sow for the transformation of Ghana”, she emphasised in her address to the leadership of the various churches, unions and political parties (NPP&NDC) at the forum.

On the recent state visit by the Queen of Denmark to Ghana in November, She described it as a big success and that some eight MOUs have been signed in various sectors with the high-level delegation of 39 businesses that joined the Queen to visit Ghana.

Call for Unity

Ambassador Ollennu Awua-Asamoa further called on the various Ghanaian unions, Churches, political groupings and intellectuals to join the Ghana mission to present a united Ghanaian front in activities in the country.

“The mission is bent on pursuing and achieving positive results through close cooperation and trust with the Ghanaian Diaspora. Whatever has happened in the past should stay in the past. I am here now as your ambassador, ready to serve! Let’s start on a new page, afresh with no prejudice or malice,” she added.

The leadership of the NDC and NPP branches in Denmark commended the efforts of the mission to promote closer ties between the Diaspora networks all over the Scandinavian countries.

Mixed reaction to ROPAL

However, there were mixed reaction from the Ghanaians in Denmark to a court’s order for the Electoral Commission to take the necessary steps to enable Ghanaians living abroad to vote in the 2020 elections.

A human rights court has directed for the implementation of the Representation of the People Amendment Act 2006, (Act 699) which was passed into law 11 years ago, but has since not been implemented.

The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress branch in Denmark Francis Selorm Sekyi and Organizer for the New Patriotic Party Kweku Mensah have both welcomed the decision and said it was long overdue.

Meanwhile Nii Adu Ntre, who has been in Denmark for 23 years has raised concerns about how the integrity of the ballots would be protected to avoid election disputes.

“Who is going to make sure that the people who walk into wherever place we are going to vote are the right people, because the truth is that about 80% of the people here are Danish citizens not dual citizens. So how do we ensure the integrity of the vote?” he quizzed.

Source: Rabiu Alhassan

]]>Ghanaian Pharmacists Association inaugurated in UShttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/ghanaian-pharmacists-association-inaugurated-in-us/
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 18:33:47 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152499On Thursday, December 14, 2017, the Ghanaian Pharmacists Association (GPhA) in the United States held an inauguration ceremony to induct new officers into office. The theme for the celebration was “Partners for Better health.”

The association which began with a small group of working and student pharmacists in the community has now grown to over 50 members.

It is the mission of GPhA to advocate for all Ghanaian Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, share knowledge and innovative ideas, assist with career opportunities and project a good professional image while working to strengthen the bond between Pharmacists in Ghana and the United States of America.

The evening’s proceeding began with an address by His Excellency Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States who hosted the event at Embassy of Ghana in Washington DC. In his welcome address, the Ambassador said the impact of Ghanaians and African professionals in the pharmaceutical industry is very crucial for Ghana and Africa as a whole, in improving health standards.

“The future of Africa rests on you. The launch basically establishes that you are determined to make a more than average contribution to Africa’s effort to stand on her own”, said the Ambassador who went on to congratulate the incoming office holders.

“Because Ghana was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence we are more often held responsible for whatever advances Africa will make just as I am holding you responsible for the advances we can make in our health industry and in our general development as a whole” – Ambassador Barwuah.

He concluded his message with the words “Thank you for inviting me and thank you for giving us the expectation that we are making the right moves for a whole continent’s future.” Dr. Rauf Audu, registrar of Ghana Pharmacy Council on his part praised the leadership of the Ghanaian Pharmacists association for their effort in making the dream of the association come true.

Other speakers at the function included Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh, the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Howard University and Dr. Joseph R. Ofosu, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut.

In line with their aim of engaging in charitable activities and community services, the association has organized health fairs and screenings in the community for several years. They recently embarked on a Pharmacy textbook drive and donated several books to the pharmacy department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. They also donated several journals and magazines to the Ghana Pharmacy Council.

In his inaugural speech Dr. Kofi Oteng Bawuah, the President enumerated his priorities for the coming year. He said “we want to be successful in mobilizing and recruiting Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians across the nation to form one strong GPhA with chapters all over the US and also to partner with our Ghanaian colleagues to ensure better health for Ghanaian citizens, hence our motto: ‘Partners for better health.’”

Dean of Howard University Pharmacy School Toyin Tofade was also in attendance to support the occasion. The curtain was drawn to conclude the event with a vote of thanks by Dr. Loreen Wutoh.

Today, the group has a total of two active Chapters in Maryland and Virginia and new Chapters have been started in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania , Texas, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California and Massachusetts.On Thursday, December 14, 2017, the Ghanaian Pharmacists Association (GPhA) in the United States held an inauguration ceremony to induct new officers into office. The theme for the celebration was “Partners for Better health.”

The association which began with a small group of working and student pharmacists in the community has now grown to over 50 members.

It is the mission of GPhA to advocate for all Ghanaian Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, share knowledge and innovative ideas, assist with career opportunities and project a good professional image while working to strengthen the bond between Pharmacists in Ghana and the United States of America.

The evening’s proceeding began with an address by His Excellency Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States who hosted the event at Embassy of Ghana in Washington DC. In his welcome address, the Ambassador said the impact of Ghanaians and African professionals in the pharmaceutical industry is very crucial for Ghana and Africa as a whole, in improving health standards.

“The future of Africa rests on you. The launch basically establishes that you are determined to make a more than average contribution to Africa’s effort to stand on her own”, said the Ambassador who went on to congratulate the incoming office holders.

“Because Ghana was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence we are more often held responsible for whatever advances Africa will make just as I am holding you responsible for the advances we can make in our health industry and in our general development as a whole” – Ambassador Barwuah.

He concluded his message with the words “Thank you for inviting me and thank you for giving us the expectation that we are making the right moves for a whole continent’s future.” Dr. Rauf Audu, registrar of Ghana Pharmacy Council on his part praised the leadership of the Ghanaian Pharmacists association for their effort in making the dream of the association come true.

Other speakers at the function included Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh, the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Howard University and Dr. Joseph R. Ofosu, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut.

In line with their aim of engaging in charitable activities and community services, the association has organized health fairs and screenings in the community for several years. They recently embarked on a Pharmacy textbook drive and donated several books to the pharmacy department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. They also donated several journals and magazines to the Ghana Pharmacy Council.

In his inaugural speech Dr. Kofi Oteng Bawuah, the President enumerated his priorities for the coming year. He said “we want to be successful in mobilizing and recruiting Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians across the nation to form one strong GPhA with chapters all over the US and also to partner with our Ghanaian colleagues to ensure better health for Ghanaian citizens, hence our motto: ‘Partners for better health.’”

Dean of Howard University Pharmacy School Toyin Tofade was also in attendance to support the occasion. The curtain was drawn to conclude the event with a vote of thanks by Dr. Loreen Wutoh.

Today, the group has a total of two active Chapters in Maryland and Virginia and new Chapters have been started in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania , Texas, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California and Massachusetts.

Source: AfrikanPost

]]>Meet the 22-year-old Ghanaian already pursuing a PhDhttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/meet-the-22-year-old-ghanaian-already-pursuing-a-phd/
Mon, 18 Dec 2017 12:32:14 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152496Samuel Fiifi Hammond is a remarkable student. Not just because of his in-depth understanding of technical issues but his unwavering determination to break the traditional educational status quo.

He is only 22, yet he is pursuing a doctorate at the Newcastle University in Australia.

Samuel, only in 2016 graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with First Class Honours in Bsc. Construction Technology & Management.
“Since my childhood, I’ve always challenged myself. I set high targets and try to achieve them. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But I believe one thing that keeps me moving on is that I AM NOT COMPLACENT. I don’t easily get satisfied with how things are,” he said.

For the Jukwa Senior High School graduate who studied General Arts, learning is a lifelong exercise he

He has always embraced the opportunity to learn something new at any given opportunity, especially one that challenges his thinking and exposes him to new ways of doing things.

This explains his appetite for academic research, a more reason why he completed his National Service at KNUST’s Department of Building Technology as a Research Assistant.

While a National Service Person, with only a degree in Construction Technology Management which is ordinarily not sufficient to pursue a PhD, he took the rare step of applying to the Austrian University for his PhD as a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student.

Samuel, had opted to complete the High Degree program in Building, an area he had received foundational understanding in from KNUST.

On 11th August, 2017 when he received the email from the University of Newcastle, confirming his admission on a Full Scholarship to the school he embraced it with much very little surprise.

According to him, the admission yet again confirmed that success could be achieved when one puts their mind to it.

“I set high goals and work at it,” he said.

His research topic is “Development Policies and Sustainable Construction: A Case Based On Ghana.”

It will take him 4 years to complete the program, a year longer than the regular PhD program which could be completed in 3 years.

Unlike PhDs completed in other parts of the world, Samuel Fiifi Hammond’s PhD program is a research-only degree, meaning he doesn’t have any courses to take. All he has to do is to research.

Although he can take up a teaching activity alongside the program, it is not a requirement of the programme.

With this feat, he is expected to complete the PhD programme at the age of 26, likely to set a record as the youngest West African to graduate from the school.

The average age of beginning a PhD in Australia is 28 for science degrees and 38 for humanities degrees.

“Always have a goal you want to achieve. Something better and higher than your current situation,” Samuel advises.

He said while he feels this is a great academic achievement for him, he is quickly putting the excitement behind him to focus on something greater ahead.

“We’ve all been in that state before where we’ve achieved something great and we felt good. It really does. But if you know you have another goal you want to tackle, you put those successes behind because there is something also to go after now,” he said.

The University of Newcastle, Australia, is listed among the top 300 Universities in the world

Source: citifmonline

]]>Ghana is pride of Africa – German Presidenthttp://ghanaculturepolitics.com/ghana-is-pride-of-africa-german-president/
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:52:24 +0000http://ghanaculturepolitics.com/?p=152492The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has described Ghana as the pride of Africa and a beacon of stability on the continent.

Speaking at a state dinner in his honour as part of his three-day state visit to Ghana, President Steinmeier said the entire world is proud of the many peaceful transitions witnessed in Ghana since the coming into force of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution, and particularly the resent transition that brought the current administration into office after the December 7, 2016 elections.

He added that Ghana is currently playing a pivotal role on the global scene through the UN with President Akufo-Addo as Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) group of eminent advocates.

He assured the people of Ghana that Germany will continue to support her in all possible ways to create meaningful opportunities for job creation for the teeming youth of Ghana.

Culture of Debate in Ghana

The German leader expressed deep appreciation and admiration for the culture of open debate that exists in the country currently. He observed that maintaining the balance and making sure that everybody is heard in a democratic state is not always easy.

However, President Steinmeier said Ghana has shown a clear example that it is ready to embrace inclusive growth through social cohesion.

Ghana and German Relations

On his part, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana and Germany have decided on a fresh start to the relationship that exists between the two countries. Going forward, the relationship would now be one of trade and economic cooperation rather than aid and financial assistance as has been in times past.

He urged the strong business delegation visiting with the German leader to take advantage of all of the flagship programmes of his administration and seek partnerships.